


Metallic Silence

by sayijo



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Amnesia, Assassination, Blood and Gore, Captivity, Flashbacks, Gen, Gore, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Torture, Memory Loss, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pain, Rating May Change, Swearing, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-01-24 11:11:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sayijo/pseuds/sayijo
Summary: Chen didn't have use for him.Until now.He didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he had come from. He didn't know why he was here. But if he wanted to leave, then he needed to do what was asked of him.
Comments: 33
Kudos: 98





	1. Awakening

**>NINDROID SYSTEM REBOOT INITIATED**

**>SYSTEM RECOVERY STATUS: 12%**

**>36%**

**>68%**

**>87%**

**>99%**

**>SYSTEM RECOVERY COMPLETED**

**>COMMENCING BOOT-UP**

**>ALL SYSTEMS: OPERATIONAL**

**>SUBJECT NAME: [UNKNOWN]**

His eyes opened heavily. The room he lay in was dark and cold, the chilled moisture sticking to his skin. The only light came from a barred window, high on the wall, to his left. The smell of mould was everywhere. The room had a dark blue scheme to it, green moss growing along the cracks of the ancient bricks that made up the walls.

He twisted his head to look around but found that it wouldn’t follow any other command. His hands and arms remained down at his sides, the cold hard surface of the table he lay on being the only thing that he felt. No matter how hard he strained, his body wouldn’t move an inch.

He allowed his eyes to blink around, to fully take in his surroundings. He watched the blue sky outside, watching as the thin clouds lazy scrolled by the window. He could feel a draft blowing in from a crack somewhere in the room. He could hear the sound of a leaking ceiling, the water droplets gently falling against the ground.

He could hear the sound of machinery beeping somewhere off to his right, a thick, heavy cable running over his right arm, the pressure building up near the center of his chest.

How did he get here? 

He allowed his memory to rewind, but he couldn’t find a single event past when he had woken up. It was like his mind had come to a roadblock; there was a wall of darkness that barricaded his past life away from him. He knew there was more to his memory. He could feel it. 

He closed his eyes and concentrated.

**>COMMENCING MEMORY RECOVERY**

**>SEARCHING...**

**>NO ADDITIONAL MEMORIES LOCATED**

He lay there for a few moments, his processor straining to remember.

He tensed up once he heard the sound of a door opening. The sound was an ugly noise against his ears; he couldn’t help but wince. He could hear the sound of the metal scraping against the wall, chipping off pieces of the stone, the sound of rust on its hinges. 

There was a sudden draft down on his left side, and he assumed that’s where the door was.

He could see somebody’s long shadow as a rectangle of orange light came streaming in. He would have turned his head to look, but his entire body except for his eyes was paralyzed. His breath rose and fell in a rhythmic pace as he could hear the sounds of footprints approached him, and his eyes snapped to his right as a face came into his vision.

He was staring at a man. 

Well, a rather unkempt one. 

His black, stubby beard was straying away in odd directions, the whole thing looking like a wild bush of black fishing wire. The hair on his head was beginning to grey; white streaks soaking through the black. His skin looked like he had spent a good portion of his time in the kitchen; there were dots and marks across his unwashed face.

His eyes were a gentle amber colour, but they were open so wide to a point that [UNKNOWN] didn’t think was possible. The white of his eyes contained small red lines, bloodshot eyes staring deep into his soul.

He was wearing a snake-themed headdress. Once [UNKNOWN] had a second to scan the material, he was aware that the snake wrapped around the headdress was organic, and the ribs that held the entire thing in place were human.

Uhm—

“He’s awake! He’s awake Clousy-Clouse!” The man shrieked, and his voice sounded like he had a cold. It would change pitches at odd intervals, the lower pitches sounding like the man smoked through forty cigarettes a day.

“Yes, it appears he is, Master.” Another voice came somewhere out of his vision. He tried to turn his head and look, but reminded himself that he couldn’t move. The voice sounded like someone had plugged their nose as they spoke.

**>“MASTER” **

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

**>“CLOUSY-CLOUSE”**

[UNKNOWN] paused for a second.

**>MOST LIKELY NICKNAME**

[UNKNOWN] tacked on after a few seconds of deliberation. He sure hoped no one in the word was dumb enough to decide to name their child that.

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

“Oooo! This is so exciting! It’s been ages since I’ve had this much fun! I mean, the Tournament of Elements is about to start soon, but I just thought…” The first man, now known as “Master”, disappeared from view, continuing his rambling. There was the sound of tools and other metallic devices being rummaged through, but [UNKNOWN] began to filter out the noise.

**>TOURNAMENT OF ELEMENTS**

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

“Yes, Master,” Clousy-Clouse had begun to say in that nasally voice that was beginning to grate on [UNKNOWN]’s nerves. Their conversation moved elsewhere but he still strained his ears to listen.

“But why did we activate him in the first place?” Nasal-voice had begun to talk again, and [UNKNOWN] let in a rather sharp inhale, wanting to cut off all of his audio reception. He tested the functionality of his wrists, attempting to roll his hands around.

No use. 

“Why he’s a very good asset Clousy-Clouse!” Master spoke, and there was the sound of metal tools against a tray. He felt as a warm, calloused hand warm pressed against the side of his neck, making him aware of a wire inserted there that he hadn’t noticed before. 

_ “Asset?” _ [UNKNOWN] pondered to himself. 

“That rat dragged him in! Just an extra gift for us! We got the metal man’s powers, and we’ve already scrapped the useless girl. This one, haha, seems rather interesting.”

**>THREE OTHER ENTITIES**

**>“RAT”, “METAL MAN” AND “USELESS GIRL”**

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

“Yes, but—”

“Nuh-uh Clouse! He’ll be our best soldier yet! Imagine it: a warrior that doesn’t need to eat or sleep! He won’t rest until he completes his mission! I’m surprised the rat scored such a jackpot!” Master exclaimed loudly, before he pulled the wire out of [UNKNOWN]’s neck, pulling out a small whine of pain from [UNKNOWN]’s closed lips. 

“Okay!” Master clapped his hands together as he appeared once more in his vision. 

“Can you talk?”

[UNKNOWN] opened his mouth. Or at least, he tried to. Just like the rest of his body, his lips were paralyzed and he found himself unable to form any words. 

**>JAW HINGES: UNABLE TO OPEN**

**>DIAGNOSING ISSUE…**

**>DIAGNOSIS COMPLETE: PHYSICAL FORCE PRESENT**

“Good!” Master clapped his hands once more and seemed content with the lack of a response. “Now I know you must be very confused, and I’ll explain a few things to you, under the promise that you don’t lash out at me, okay?”

_ “I can’t even move my body. It’s not like I have a choice—” _

“Excellent!” Master laughed again. 

“Do you know who I am?” 

_ “God, you’re so stupid. I can’t even move my body so how am I supposed to answer you?” _

“Of course you don’t! What am I even saying? Anyway, your name? Well, I don’t even know. We found you destroyed and decided to patch you up.” 

_ “...you...you found me?” _

“Why yes, we did!” Master exclaimed loudly, almost as if he could read [UNKNOWN]’s thoughts. He moved out of view again and made a bunch of noises, making [UNKNOWN] wonder if he was some madman who snorted cocaine every half hour. His eyes followed Master as best as he could before he disappeared out of his peripheral vision. 

**>SELF WAS FOUND BY “CLOUSE” AND “MASTER”**

**>ORIGINS STILL UNKNOWN**

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

“Would you like to move?” The question startled him. He glanced off to his right and could see the source of the nasally voice he had grown to distaste. 

A man, looking a bit younger than Master, was staring down at him. His clear skin was a deathly pale, pulled tightly over his features, and it looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His dark hair was pulled into a low ponytail before it was resting on his shoulder. He was dressed in the same red, purple, and gold robes of the master, although his outfit seemed to utilize more leather.

The nindroid blinked at him.

Nasal-voice— Clouse, he was called— reached down and began to gently pry the wires out of [UNKNOWN]’s chest. 

There was a pop, and suddenly it felt like pins and needles were being shoved into his right arm. He opened and closed his fist, trying to get the feeling to subside. He was aware of Master talking in the background, but the talking sounded like it was coming from underwater. 

“Do you know your purpose?” 

He wasn’t sure who had asked. Another pop and he could feel his neck dislodge from whatever suspended animation he had been held in. 

He thought for a few seconds before he shook his head.

He didn’t even know who he was.

“Well! We got a few special...guests arriving later this week.” Clouse explained slowly, watching [UNKNOWN]’s face. He looked back down at his job and reached out to pull out another wire. He jolted as he felt his legs give off a sharp pain before the feeling faded as quickly as it had come.

“Yes! Every special guests indeed!” Master laughed, bouncing around on his feet. He paced around the room as the nindroid sat up, stretching his arms and listening to the sound as coils in his arms began to creak like this was the first time he had moved in months. 

He could see that he was decked out in black fabric gi, red strips of cloth wound tightly around his forearms. A hood and cloak were placed over his shoulders, running down to his loose black pants with a red cloth that wound around each of his lower legs. 

_ “Guests?” _

“We don’t want them...getting the wrong ideas about this little game we’re playing, now do we?” Master chuckled darkly.

“No, Master Chen, not at all,” Clouse responded absentmindedly.

“Chen.” So that’s the skinny crack snorter was called. 

“Oh, we’re not too worried about most of these guests.” Chen continued his rant as he paced around the dark basement, sidestepping to avoid a drip from the ceiling. He brushed off his black cape before he turned to glance at [UNKNOWN] once more.

“But there are specifically...four.”

_ “Four?” _[UNKNOWN] tilted his head to the side. 

“Four,” Clouse repeated Chen with a nod. [UNKNOWN] raised his left arm, staring down at his dark gray, metal skin, slowly testing his fingers.

“We’ll need you to...silence them if things start to spread.”

_ “Silence? You mean to kill?” _

“Yes! Now you’ve got it! I can see the gleam in your eyes; you know exactly what I’m talking about. So, what do you say? You work for me and silence them if things get too rough, okay?” Chen said with a laugh and a bounce in his step. [UNKNOWN] stared at him for a few seconds, before he glanced down at his hands. One was a dark black, the other side was a light silver. 

Two sides of him.

“Oh? Hesitation I see.” Clouse mused from his spot behind him.

“Still not convinced?” Chen laughed before his lips parted and he sneered, revealing his yellow stained teeth and one golden tooth. The light from the window glinted off the metal, causing [UNKNOWN] to wince and use both arms to shield his face.

“Let’s make a deal, then,” Chen spoke again, this time in a low voice. He walked towards the table that [UNKNOWN] sat on, his black cape billowing from behind him. He stood face to face with the nindroid, uncomfortably close, looming over him.

“You do your job if needed, then I remove that muzzle of your face.”

_ “Muzzle?” _ He pondered before he reached up to feel at his face—

He couldn’t feel his mouth. There was a thick sheet of metal plastered over the bottom half of his face, covering his nose and his mouth. He could feel grates on each side, feeling air push themselves out of the grates with each exhale he took. He ran his hand along the smooth metal sides before his fingers reached the back of his neck.

His hand managed to feel multiple padlocks, all of them keeping the muzzle from being taken off.

Immediately, his hands flew to the front. He managed to dig his fingers into the space between the muzzle and his cheek, and with all his might, he pulled.

Hot, searing pain shot its way up his head. He could feel as a single point in each of his cheeks burned, like something in the interior of the mask had punctured into his face, keeping the muzzle in place. His vision swam with spots and begun to blur and double.

“Ah-ah!” Chen shook his head with a cartoonish wave of his finger. “We don’t have a deal yet.”

A second passed of panicked breathing.

“All I want, robot man,” Chen continued as he resumed pacing around the room, [UNKNOWN]’s eyes trailing him as he went. “Is for you to silence these four if they get in the way of my plans. In fact, silence anyone who gets in my way.”

“Deal?” Chen laughed, the shadows casting onto his carving into his features, highlighting his eyes. His eyes were even wider now, wider than [UNKNOWN] thought was even possible. Bloodshot eyes held irises that wouldn’t stay in one place, his hands wringing themselves together.

A pause.

“Still not convinced? Then—” Clouse had begun to speak, but Chen cut him off.

“We can...get your memories back if you cooperate with us.”

That caused [UNKNOWN]’s ears to perk up. His hands fell back to his sides as a smug look of satisfaction crossed Chen’s face.

He had won. 

_ “Memories?” _

He didn’t know what was happening or why these four people were such importance to the two men currently in the room with him. He wasn’t sure who the other three people mentioned were. He didn’t know what this “Tournament of Elements” was.

He didn’t know who he was. 

Why was he stopped from talking? Why was any of this happening? 

Why him?

“Deal?” Chen laughed before he sauntered over and stuck out his filthy hand, the fingers decorated with golden rings and tipped with yellow nails. [UNKNOWN] stared down at it in disgust for a few moments, before he reached forward and took his hand.

_ “I fucking hate you. But if it will get my memories back, then I’ll do anything.” _

He shook Chen’s hand.


	2. Remember

Chen filled him in on what he was planning to do, but he could tell that the snake obsessed man was deliberately hiding certain details from him. He would stop himself mid-sentence, and wallow in silence as if he was trying to find a way to reword what he was about to say. 

Clouse wasn’t any better. He was even more secretive than Chen. [UNKNOWN] would notice that he’d carry a thick leather-bound book tucked underneath his right arm. He’d find himself staring over the long-haired man’s shoulders once he opened the pages, but Clouse seemed to sense him there and would shut it immediately.

“Don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, machine.” He’d say in that disgusting nasally voice that made [UNKNOWN] want to shove a box of tissues up Clouse’s nose. 

He didn’t have much to do, other than wandering aimlessly around the brick tunnels underneath the sprawling massive palace. He found himself in the factory, just barely seeing workers working with the conveyor belts of food before Clouse had appeared and escorted him out. [UNKNOWN] caught a glimpse of the workers glancing over at them before the door was shut in his face.

The long-haired man had dragged him up a flight of stairs, where [UNKNOWN] found himself on ground level. The palace sprawled out in front of him, causing him to pause for a moment as he took it all in once more. The smell of saltwater filtered in through the grates of his muzzle, the breeze from the sea chilling through his clothing.

“Oh! You’ve come to visit me!” Chen walked out of the large palace gates, where two guards dressed in snake skulls guarded the way in with spears carved out of bone. “So nice! So wonderful!”

“Now!” Chen clapped his hands together before he looked [UNKNOWN] straight in the eyes. 

“Walk with me, will you?”

* * *

“You see, the Tournament of Elements is starting in a week! Tee hee!” Chen had said as he bounced around on his feet as he and [UNKNOWN] walked down the lavish hallways the cocaine-snorter’s palace. The carpet was a deep red colour, accented with gold, the walls painted a soft beige and built exactly how houses in ancient Ninjago were constructed.

_ “What is that, exactly?” _

They walked in silence for a few moments, with Chen striding forward and [UNKNOWN] along with Clouse trailing silently behind him. [UNKNOWN] took the time to glance around at the walls, taking in the paintings and multiple artifacts tacked up for display. He let out a sigh, listening as the grates on each side of the muzzle fluttered open to expel air.

“Master, I don’t believe you have explained what the tournament is to him yet,” Clouse spoke up from his spot on Chen’s left. [UNKNOWN] took a chance to glance at him, eyeing the thick book tucked underneath the man’s left arm, on the side furthest away from the robotic soldier. Clouse must have seen the look of curiosity on his face, because he sent a dirty glare in his direction.

“Oh? I haven’t? Well you see, friend, the Tournament of Elements is a...game that I have decided on playing. Heh heh heh.” Chen laughed deeply, taking a few moments to chuckle to himself. They walked in silence for a few more moments, before Chen took an inhale to talk once again.

“These guests, well, they’re special. They have...powers. Special abilities. And I want them.” Chen explained slowly, his pace began to slow down into a leisurely stroll. His hands flew around as he talked, [UNKNOWN] being forced to slow down to avoid being hit.

“I..._ do _have an end goal in mind. You see, I worship a group of serpentine. You know what they are, correct?”

**>SERPENTINE. A SPECIES OF HUMANOID SNAKES. THEIR EXISTENCE IS DATED BEFORE HUMANITY.**

He let a stiff nod jolt his head.

“Well! You see, the serpentine and the humans, they had a bit of..uh...a bit of a disagreement in the past, you see.” Chen continued and quickened his pace, leaving [UNKNOWN] and Clouse having to speed up in an attempt to catch up. 

_ “Disagreement? Or a war?” _

“The Serpentine War.” Close spoke up, causing [UNKNOWN] to glance over at him once more. Chen gave a hum of agreement and nodded, slightly glancing over his shoulder to see how well [UNKNOWN] was fairing against this new information. 

“Oh! It was so exciting you see! So much bloodshed, so much fear! Oh! How exciting!” Chen laughed a bit, swaying slightly from side to side as he lost himself in his own thoughts. [UNKNOWN]’s eyes furrowed as he dug around in his databases for new information. The world melted away for a few moments.

**>THE SERPENTINE WAR. LARGEST WAR RECORDED IN NINJAGO HISTORY**

**>LASTED FOR 40 YEARS**

**>CASUALTIES: 400K+**

“The Serpentine War was a war around forty—” Clouse had begun to speak, but was cut off when [UNKNOWN] shook his hand around dismissively, his eyes not even focusing on the long-haired man. Clouse’s eyebrows creased in anger, but he stopped talking once [UNKNOWN] lifted his hand back down and proceeded to walk in silence.

“Oh? He’s filled in? Wonderful!” Chen bounced around on his feet with a clap.

“Now. There was this one clan of serpentine. Anacondrai, you see. They were...they were good friends. Of mine. Oh, fearless warriors, ruthless soldiers. They were the most powerful of the bunch. After the war was over, they...well, they seemed to be banished. To another realm. But you see, Clousy-Clouse here has a spell that will...”

[UNKNOWN]’s mind was swirling with all this new information. Chen talked like he was being fast-forwarded; all of his words a garbled mess on his tongue. His brow creased as he attempted to take in all the sentences that were volleyed at him, trying to pick apart what Chen was saying. 

“The spell requires elemental powers to be achieved.” Clouse cut him off, leaving Chen to pout and fume as he walked in silence. “That is why we need to powers of those who are attending the tournament.”

_ “Against their will.” _[UNKNOWN] concluded, knowing Clouse wanted to say it but had decided against doing so.

“Do you understand now?” Chen glanced over his shoulder. [UNKNOWN] blinked for a few seconds before he nodded once.

_ “Most of it, sure.” _

“Splendid!” Chen laughed. “I’ll just need you to make sure these guests of mine don’t catch wind about this new information. That’ll be your job. After it’s all over, you’ll be free!”

_ “Free.”_

* * *

The rest of the week passed by rather uneventfully. 

Well, except for one incident. 

[UNKNOWN] found himself sitting on a wooden crate of noodles outside the factory, his back leaning against the wall with one leg tucked in towards his chest. He lazily scanned the walls, eyes catching the occasional spider that would crawl along it. His fingers absentmindedly tapped on the wooden frame of the crate, him feeling as the vibrations reached up to his skull. 

He heard someone approaching him from his left, and he turned to look. 

A girl, most definitely in her late teens, strolled up to him. She was dressed in orange, with brown leather straps wound around her waist and some parts of her arms. A pale orange cloth was wrapped tightly around each of her forearms and lower legs, and she finished the look with steel toed combat boots. 

Her skin was a dark tan, her eyes a brilliant shade of green, like the foliage from a budding tree. Her hair was a bright, fiery red, pulled up into a loose but high ponytail. 

“...you his new bodyguard or something?” She asked as she placed a hand her her hip and tilted to the side, looking rather unimpressed. [UNKNOWN] studied her for a few moments in silence, before he shrugged. She blinked for a few seconds, her eyebrows creasing. 

“Okay. Let’s take this back a bit. My name is Skylor. What’s yours?”

[UNKNOWN] thought for a few moments. 

He shrugged again. 

“Wh—” Skylor looked confused. She approached him with her arms crossed, looking up at him from his spot on top of the crate. 

“Can you talk?”

[UNKNOWN] shook his head, before pointing to the muzzle very clearly bolted and locked onto the lower half of his face. 

“Figured.” Skylor sighed before dropping her arms down to her sides. She looked around for a few moments, eyeing the katana strapped to his back and a few hunting knives holstered to his waist. 

“You know why you’re here?” She asked as she leaned against the wall, kicking at a few stray pebbles on the ground. 

[UNKNOWN] made a motion of running his thumb across his neck, finishing it with a slight jerk of his fist to indicate a knife being pulled free from skin. 

“Ah. Sent out to kill people. I see.” Skylor nodded, proceeding to pick at the uneven brick walls of the tunnel, the sounds of clanging from the factory echoing all around them. They stayed in silence for a few seconds. 

“Do you know _ anything _ about your past?” She finally asked. She peered up at him, bright green eyes meeting with a red eye contrasting against a black background. 

[UNKNOWN] shook his head. 

_ “I wish.” _

She looked rather unamused with his answer, but her expression was clear that there was more information than what she was saying. [UNKNOWN]’s eyes creased in slight anger in confusion, before he gestured to her. 

“Hmm? Me?”

[UNKNOWN] nodded. 

“I’m Chen’s daughter.” 

He blinked for a few seconds as he took the time to process the information he was given. 

**>CHEN HAS DAUGHTER. GOES BY THE NAME “SKYLOR”**

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

“Yeah, a bit stunning at first. Hopefully my dad filled you in about his big plot?”

He nodded once. 

“Good.” She smiled, before pushing herself off the wall and stretching. She let out a yawn, dropping her hands down to her sides as she finished. 

“Well, buddy, I’ll see you around.” She laughed. She turned around and began to make her way down the hall she had just came, her shoes making rhythmic thumping against the solid ground. 

“Oh! By the way,” She looked over her shoulder back at him as she continued to walk, her form getting smaller and smaller. 

“Hopefully those ninja won't be a big problem for you like they were last time!”

_ “What—” _[UNKNOWN] began to mumble to himself, before a sharp stinging pain at the back of his eyes caused him to stop. He grit his teeth and waited it out, watching as bright splotches appeared across his vision. The world spun violently for a few seconds as his hands tightened on the edge of the crate, his body threatening to tilt off and crash to the floor. 

Then just as quickly as it had come, it had stopped. 

The splotches faded away like water vapour, the tilting and spinning halting immediately as the pain suddenly ceased. 

There was silence for a while. 

_ “What the fuck.” _


	3. Hunt

He was aware of several bedrooms that were accessible from the front lobby of the palace. The lobby itself had pillars made of gold, snake-like dragons carved and wrapped around the staff. The halls were decked with lavish red, purple, and gold rugs. The whole thing was a circular area, with two floors, and the top floor had a walkway that overlooked the ground floor. A glass and gold chandelier hung in the center.

One peek in a bedroom had him looking into a bright blue painted room. A lavish couch was set off to his right and a large scale tv the size of the wall was on his left. Somewhere along the back wall were two doors, one which led to a kitchen and the other leading to a bathroom. A bright, golden animal crest on one of the walls caused him to pause for a second. 

_ “Blue…” _

He made his way further down the hidden hallway in the walls and peeked through another hole. A dark, earthy dirty room played itself back to his optic sensors, and he nearly staggered way from the wall as if he punched in the face. His head was throbbing now, two hands gripping at his hair as he tried to ease the pounding against his skull.

_ “Earth…” _

He was missing something. There was a gap in his memory, he was sure of it. He was missing names, places, and more names. His mind filtered away to static for a few pure moments in agony as his back hit the wall, and he slid down into a seated position. He pulled at his hair, gritting his teeth as he tilted his head downwards. 

_ “Think, think, think!” _He cried out to himself. He reached as far back as his memories drives would allow, but he couldn’t find anything past when he had first woken up in the cold, wet basement. 

_ “This is a waste of time.” _

_ “Get it together. Get it together.” _He snapped to himself as he stumbled to his feet, placing a hand on the wall to steady himself. The world kept spinning around him, threatening to make him lose his balance at any given time. He would’ve thrown up if he had a stomach, and he took in deep breaths in an attempt to ease his tight chest.

He started walking again.

* * *

“The ship is docking in five minutes!” A man called out from below Cry’s spot on the roof. He startled out of his thoughts as he sat on the roof of the main palace, his legs dangling off the side, feeling the strong winds from such a high altitude. The sun had just started to rise on the horizon of the ocean, although the palace was still drenched in shadows. His red eye cast a gentle glow on the surrounding skin, dimming more and more the sun rose.

There was more yelling as people scrambled around to get ready. There was a path set out in red rugs that connected the docks to the palace gates, each side flanked by a line of drummers. They were all dressed in red cloaks, their faces hidden away as they pounded away.

[UNKNOWN] watched in half interest as a two-storied ferry arrived at the dock, slowly positioning itself to park parallelly against the dock. A large watermill was positioned on the back of the ferry, providing the boat’s main source of propulsion. The underbelly of the wooden ship was painted a dark green, and the rest of the ship was a dark red and gold.

Soon enough, a temporary bridge connected the ferry to the docks and Clouse walked off the ship. He seemed to turn around and say something to the people that had begun to converge at the exit of the ferry before he turned around and resumed walking towards the palace, hands held behind his back. The sun shone on his back, a long shadow stretching from his feet to meet the palace gates.

People began to filter out. He saw a man with oversized gloves made of metal, decked in black. There was a shorter man with an afro and dressed in a dark blue suit with a guitar. Another man who was dressed in white sports clothing, with red sunglasses placed over his young face.

More people. He saw a girl in a torn yellowish-green crop top with black leggings and green hair pulled into a ponytail. A man with a large dark beard, holding a staff of bamboo. A man with slick black hair and grey leather. 

Then—

[UNKNOWN] almost fell off the roof.

A man with spiked up, milk chocolate coloured hair. His skin was a bronze colour, dressed in a red fabric with dark brown leather straps and a dark red sash around his waist. He had a red duffle bag off to his right, the sling over his left shoulder. 

Another man with slightly lighter hair, all wavy and unkempt, like he had just stumbled out of bed. His skin was many shades paler, a blue uniform thrown over his body and a piece of silver shoulder armour on his right.

Beside him was someone with a dark, black, windblown hair. His skin was many shades darker, going nicely with his clothing choice. He had a simple black gi on, complete with a golden dragon design printed onto his chest. He was considerably more muscled than the two previously mentioned people.

A man that was significantly younger than the rest. He was decked out in a green and golden gi. His hair was a pale blonde, not quite white, and his skin had a slightly tanned look to it. Golden armour pads lay on both of his shoulders, a golden shirt tucked underneath the gi but visible through the collar. 

_ “Green and gold. Green and gold—” _ [UNKNOWN]’s mind was spinning, trying to wrap his mind around why his head hurt so much. It felt like his skull was splitting open, his processor trying to explain why he _ knew _these people. He was sure. He was sure he knew.

Blurred images ran through his vison, swarming around too fast to comprehend. He strained to get a grip on one of the pictures, any which one would do—

**>ACCESS DENIED**

**>ACCESS DENIED**

**>ACCESS DENIED**

He was going to be seen if he kept sitting here. 

He scrambled to his feet, his shoes nearly slipping on the rounded tiles that made up the roof. He hugged his arms close against his chest, trying to hide them away to make himself less noticeable against the ever-rising sun. He darted across the rooftop, before jumping off and grabbing onto the edge before swinging himself to slip in through an open window. Outside, the sounds of drums began to start up at a more rapid pace, the groaning of the palace wall’s gates accompanying so as his shoes hit the carpeted ground. 

_ “Into position.” _He murmured to himself as he paced down the halls. Chen was planning to meet up all of the contestants in a meeting room someplace further into the palace, and he picked up his pace as he thundered down the winding halls to get there first. Somewhere far behind him, he could hear the sound of the main palace doors opening, the sound travelling through the maze of corridors.

The throne room wasn’t too hard to find. It was a circular room, much like the lobby, with the outer edge elevated higher than the rest of the room. 

With a few quick leaps, he had scaled the pillars in the small circular room and stood on a horizontal beam of wood in the rafters above, before he took a crouching seat, just as the door opened and a stream of people came flooding in. 

There were the four that [UNKNOWN] kept his eyes on, however. The four took a seat beside each other on the edge of the circular room, before a fifth seemed to join them. 

He was significantly older than the four of them, with gray hair and a face full of wrinkles. He wore a black and gold vest-like gi that exposed much of his chest and all of his arms, with a loose gray shirt underneath. A bright green sash was tied around his waist, held together with a golden pin. His pants were loose, but there was a cloth wrapped around each of his lower legs like the rest of them.

[UNKNOWN]’s vision blurred and he nearly fell over, having to grab onto the pillar beside to stay upright.

_ A man wearing a gi of black, having just taken off a mask with a metal component. _

The five of them conversed with each other for a few moments before one of Chen’s goons struck his mallet against the gong.

Silence.

“All rise for Master Chen.” Clouse spoke up, and [UNKNOWN] fought the urge to roll his eyes. 

Everyone in the room complied. 

All except [UNKNOWN]. 

There was the sound of a wheeling system and the sound of rope cable against metal. [UNKNOWN] shifted his attention to the left to notice that Chen was being lowered from the rafters by two tethers towards the ground.

Chen was sitting in a fancily crafted leather and wood throne. Each side was flanked by a board that contained an array of buttons. The two sides of the backrest had two highly detailed snake-like dragons carved from dark wood, curling down to reach the armrests, accented with gold.

“Welcome to the Tournament of Elements!” Chen exclaimed loudly once the throne landed on the ground with a small thud. “Now everyone can all die!”

The door directly in front of him shut with a resounding thud. All the people in the room let out a small gasp of surprise and turned to look at the source of the noise. The banners that hung off the walls fluttered from the wind expelled from the gates shutting. 

“...Die-_ rect _ your attention to me!” Chen laughed as he hopped off his seat, and let out a small chuckle as he closed his eyes. A wave of small snorting and chuckling rippled through the crowd as they all sat back down.

[UNKNOWN] grew uninterested in the words spoken, all of it being blended into background noise. He sat there, unamused, listening to the hum that came from Chen’s playful tone.

“...and a formal pupil has returned.” Chen laughed, gesturing to the older man who sat directly in front of Chen. [UNKNOWN] could see how the old man’s shoulder’s tensed up, how his body became slightly rigid and how his hands clenched into fists.

**>CHEN USED TO HAVE A PUPIL**

**>ADDED TO MEMORY**

Chen spewed some more useless words around as he paced around the room before the goon beside the gong hit it with his mallet again. To [UNKNOWN]’s surprise, the s-shaped snake design in the middle split apart, the gong splitting into two halves of a yin and yang symbol, revealing a bracket board behind it. 

“Behold! A Jade Blade!” Chen mentioned to Clouse, who was standing beside the throne. The long-haired man bent over and opened a medium-sized, red felt box, pulling out a one-sided dagger. It was carved out of jade, a dragon design coming off the hilt. 

“Here, it represents life,” Chen explained. “Obtain it, move on. Allow your opponent to take it, loser!”

Chen droned on about some rules of the tournament, and [UNKNOWN] found himself zoning out once again. He sat there in boredom, silently tapping his fingers against the pillar in a wave-like formation. 

“And what happens if they lose?” The old man spoke up, startling [UNKNOWN] out his thoughts. He watched as Chen turned to face his pupil, a menacing look now on his face. The crack-snorter’s face morphed into a devilish grin, malice glinting behind his eyes.

“Lose? Who here likes to lose?” Chen sneered as if he was mocking a child.

The rest of the group erupted into laughter, but the five remained silent, glancing around at their surroundings awkwardly. 

_ “It’s bad news for you.” _[UNKNOWN] mumbled silently to himself. 

Chen said some more unnecessary commentary before Clouse said something about rooms. An array of kabuki came out of a second door once the nasally-voiced man clapped his hands, the servants streaming into the throne room. 

They made a semi-circle around the group of contestants before they grabbed hold onto each of their assigned partners. [UNKNOWN] watched in half amusement as they were lead out of the room, one of the main four— or was it five? [UNKNOWN] couldn’t be sure anymore— protested at the action. 

The door shut again and they were gone, silence filling the room once again. [UNKNOWN] waited a few more seconds before he leapt out from the rafters, landing on the ground with a crouch, almost silently. Chen gave him a satisfied look.

“Well done on your first day! We have a small little game planned for them later today, but it’ll be fine!” Chen laughed as he sat back on his seat, and with a clap, four grunts moved from their positions to lift up his chair. They walked towards the exit as two kabuki opened the door for them.

“Take a break, friend!” Chen laughed once over his shoulder before the four grunts carried him out of the room, the two kabuki following, and the door shut once more. 

[UNKNOWN] took a look at Clouse, the long-haired man giving the nindroid a sneer before he himself stormed out of the room, leaving [UNKNOWN] alone.

A pause.

_ “A good job for a first day indeed.”_

* * *

There was something about a match between all the contestants later that day, and someone lost, but [UNKNOWN] couldn’t be bothered to remember details. 

* * *

[UNKNOWN] found himself leaning against the windowsill of an open window in the palace, feeling the cold wind on his face. It was around 1 am, and he could see the moonlight reflecting off the waves of the ocean. The wind rustled the palm trees and vegetation that grew all around the palace.

The sound of footsteps alerted him to someone approaching him.

He instinctively got into a crouching position, one hand reaching for the back of his waist where he kept a hunting knife tucked there.

“No need for alarm, it is only me.”

Clouse stepped out from the shadows into the moonlight. [UNKNOWN] relaxed his stance, his hand sliding off the hilt of his weapon. He regained his composure but kept his eyes trained on the long-haired man, waiting to see if he would say any more. 

“Good news, _ friend. _” Clouse chuckled darkly, pulling out something from his pocket. Scanners revealed it was a piece of torn cloth, a dark red in colour.

“We have your first job.”


	4. Cut

It was morning. 

The sun reflected off the sea, the horizon beginning to dye the blue sky, blending onto an orange-ish pink, the soft orange glow reflected off the white clouds that hung in the heavens. The chilly spray of the ocean could be felt even further inland, the wind rustling the trees and branches. 

To be fair, [UNKNOWN] enjoyed the view. Watching the sun slowly inch up on the horizon caused him to forget for a while where he was. It made him forget what was bolted to his face. It made him forget where he was. The pain melted away until the only thing he could feel was the warmth from the sun. 

Another day.

Another day crossed off until he could obtain freedom.

Well, if everything went well.

* * *

Chen was beginning to grow impatient only after one day. 

The intercoms that were placed around the island blared with his own theme song before he announced the matches that would take place that day early that morning. Speed and Gravity, Nature and Mind, Fire and Smoke. 

Three losses, three victors.

The red one— “Fire”, [UNKNOWN] knew him by— had emerged victorious. To be honest, [UNKNOWN] was rather disappointed by the outcome. “Fire” was a rather peculiar specimen, and [UNKNOWN] would’ve loved the idea of seeing him more up close. The way how the fire wielder would constantly run his fingers through his hair, flipping his hair back with a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. How he’d sometimes puff out his chest in pride and laugh softly. 

But the more important reason: [UNKNOWN] wanted to know why he knew “Fire” from somewhere before. He was sure that he knew the brunette from a past life. The way that the red-clothed man acted, how he talked, how he smiled: [UNKNOWN] all knew it from somewhere else.

The same could be said for the rest of them. Every glance at the group had given [UNKNOWN] a stinging pain behind his eyes, causing him migraines that lasted for ages on end. He was unable to grab a hold of any of the images that flashed through the images; the faces were blurred and scratched out, the visions burned and scorched at the edges.

[UNKNOWN] found himself staring back inside the blue room. He allowed his scanners to run, bits and pieces of information about the layout of the room relaying themselves back to him. He could see there was a weak spot on the doorframe for the bathroom and the TV that could retract into the floor had a small gap between the floor and the top of the screen. 

_ “He won’t be here until later this evening.” _He murmured to himself before he pressed gently against the wall he was staring out from. A small click later, and a section of the wall retracted out before sliding off to the left. He took a cautious step outwards, looking around to scan his surroundings. The light streaming in was brighter than he had expected, the room practically glowing a soft blue from reflection of the sun.

The kitchen walls were painted a lavish baby blue, the white tile floors absolutely spotless, glinting from the sunlight through the window above the sink. The fridge, stove, and sink were constructed of stainless steel and were accented with soft blue neon lights. A half-finished granola bar sat on the kitchen island. 

He eyed a half-finished glass of water right beside it, the water reflecting off the sunlight, making it look like there were little jewels floating in the liquid.

He shifted a bit to dig into his pockets and pulled out a packet of powder.

He ripped it over the glass.

* * *

Jay found his way back to his room after dinner. The room was bathed in dark shadows, the only light source coming from the moonlight outside. He let a small spark of lightning appear in the palm of his hand, and the warm yellow lights flickered on from the ceiling. 

He stretched his arms and legs a bit, letting a yawn escape his mouth. 

The food that they served on the island was questionable in appearance and smell, but at least it tasted alright, albeit saltier than he would have liked. His shoulders still mildly stung from the small scuffle the day before, but it wasn’t anything a warm soak wouldn’t fix.

A small snack and a drink of water wouldn’t hurt.

He sauntered his way to the kitchen, his hands reaching over to feel the cool surface of the kitchen’s island as he walked. 

His hand bumped against the glass of water sitting on the kitchen island. 

Before he knew it, the glass tipped over the side of the kitchen island, and he watched in slow motion as the glass fell towards the ground. The cup hit the ground with a resounding crack, the glass shattered immediately after, the water splashing out and staining the ground. Jay let out a small curse before he sighed softly. 

He was about to run off to get a towel from the bathroom before a noise made him stop.

The water on the ground was _ sizzling. _ It had started to foam like what would happen when you crack open a bottle of soda. White bubbles frizzed to the surface, sounding like an egg on the fry. Jay watched in slight horror was the sizzling began to die down before the water returned to its original state. 

He ran to the exit and took off into the lobby.

* * *

There wasn’t any news about Lightning’s passing.

Guess he was going to have to do some extra work.

* * *

[UNKNOWN] found out there was a small tunnel that was hidden in the ceiling of the blue room. There was a ceiling grate that was located right above the common room, directly on top of the couch. When [UNKNOWN] looked down, he could see that the room was dark, the only light coming in from the window.

His fingers slipped through the spacings on the grate, before pulling upwards. The grate removed itself with the small sound of metal against drywall, the debris from the slight movement raining down onto the couch below. He lifted the grate and set it aside, staring down at the square opening that would lead into the room. Everything else was quiet, the only noise coming from the sounds of breathing behind the mask. He pulled the hood of his cloak over his head before he unclipped a hunting knife from his belt. The smooth metal glinted off what limited light bounced around in the metal tunnel.

He took a deep breath.

He leapt out from the opening. He crouched as his feet hit the floor, absorbing the impact. There was no sound as he hit the ground, and he let out a small exhale through the grates of his mask.

He rose to his full height, the moonlight curving around his form, his red eyes cutting through the darkness. He brandished the knife, turning his head to look in the direction of the kitchen. He was expecting to find it empty.

There was someone there. 

Someone who was definitely not the blue one.

* * *

“Never thought Chen was the type.” A huskier voice spoke before the figure stepped out of the shadows into the full ray of moonlight. [UNKNOWN] could feel his eye widen up once his optical sensors picked up who was staring back at him.

The dark-skinned wielder of the earth was looking back at him. His face was contorted into an angry expression. [UNKNOWN] could see the strong curve of his chest, the strong muscles that adorned his arms. He was dressed in a different gi than when he first come off the ferry, now decked in a sleeveless, simple black gi. His dark black hair hung just past his ears, wild and windblown.

“You wanted to wipe out one of us, no? Or all of us?” Cole grumbled, punching one of his fists into his palm. He licked his lips, getting into a defensive stance before cracking his knuckles. [UNKNOW] could feel as he pulled the hood further down, his own dark hair covering his glowing red eyes and metallic face.

A pause.

[UNKNOWN] took the first move. He shot forward, swinging the blade in a horizontal arch, causing the earth ninja to lean back violently to avoid the blow. Using the opening made by the swing, Cole threw a fist forward. Using his left arm, [UNKNOWN] threw a punch forward, his claws extending.

_ The same dark-skinned man. He was in an area underground, with soft green glowing pieces over the dirt walls. The ground was a soft green, not quite grass but close enough. There was a path made of flat stone pieces. The other three joined him, staring right in [UNKNOWN]’s direction, all of them in battle positions. _

_ Around them, he could see soldiers in black gis and metallic faces. _

Cole ducked underneath his fist before he lunged and wrapped both arms around [UNKNOWN]’s waist, causing the nindroid to stumble backwards and lose his balance. With a grunt, [UNKNOWN] jerked his right knee up, causing Cole’s head to shoot up as it connected with his jaw. Using the momentum, the nindroid fell backwards and made a quick backwards flip to right himself.

He looked up and could see the earth wielder lunging towards him once more. He scrambled to the side, just as Cole’s right fist flew past where he was standing a few milliseconds ago. The wall behind where he stood let out a crack as a fist-sized hole appeared in it, the drywall beginning to crumble.

[UNKNOWN] leapt up, planting his feet on one of the shelves before he dove straight for Cole, the knife now pointed at his chest. The earth wielder flinched before he scrambled back some. There wasn’t any time to maneuver out of the way, however, and [UNKNOWN] watched as the knife slid through the gi like butter.

That’s where it stopped, however, because the tip of the blade hit someone rock solid and the rest of the knife folded up like an accordion. 

_ “Wh—” _

There was a harsh kick to his stomach, and [UNKNOWN] flew a good five feet back, crashing right into a display case. The glass shattered, raining all around his form, being bounced off the cloak. [UNKNOWN] let a snarl curve his mouth as he rose to his feet, ignoring the blazing pain that came from the action.

“If you know what’s good for you, then run and never come back,” Cole growled, dirt and gravel beginning to fall out his the bottom of gi from where he had formed a solid wall of rock over his chest.

_ The earth wielder was in a spacesuit now. The terrain was a darker, grayish brown, the whole galaxy laying itself to view from up above. Odd rock structures stood up from the ground, almost like he wasn’t back on Earth anymore. _

_ A mangled spaceship lay in front of them. The mangled frame was covered in glowing yellowish-green bugs, all of them gnawing away at the metal. _

[UNKNOWN] came running at him once more. He unclipped a second knife from his belt, gripping the hilt tightly in his hand. He raised it over his head, and stabbed down. Cole dove out of the way, right into [UNKNOWN]’s waiting foot. The earth ninja let out a grunt as [UNKNOWN] kicked him right across the face, immediately tasting blood in his mouth as the metal accented boot gave him a cut across his left cheek.

Cole was forced to roll out of the way as [UNKNOWN] stabbed at the ground before he slashed, leaving an ugly, deep cut right in the wooden tile. He left the blade stuck in the floor, before he lunged forward again. This damned earth ninja was giving such a large headache it was beginning to piss him off. [UNKNOWN] wanted to end him so that he wouldn’t get a headache from him ever again.

_ A monastery lay at the side of a cliff face, a waterfall running behind it and turning the water wheel. The building was tall, the walls painted a soft white and the ceiling a lush but dark green. A forest lay ahead of it, the gentle sound of crickets audible through the shrub. _

_ Four vehicles: two terrain-build, two aerial, escaping from the scene. _

_ A bright flash later, and the four of them had crashed into a heap together, bright flames lapping at the metal as their inner workings fritzed and sparked. The smell of smoke and burning metal could reach his sensors from his position upon a hill. _

Cole could even react as [UNKNOWN] unclipped his third and final knife from his belt. He threw his two arms over his face in order to protect himself, rocks already beginning to form on his forearms. [UNKNOWN] cursed internally as he shifted his aim.

The knife cut through the earth wielder’s right bicep, right up to the hilt. The earth ninja let a sharp cry of pain as the nindroid pulled the knife like a lever, the blade forcing itself through flesh and muscle. He could feel as a grin tugged at the corner of his lips, catching as the dark-skinned man squirmed at the feeling, so cold a feeling like liquid nitrogen. The earth ninja reared back his left fist, now covered in rock, and threw it forward.

Wait—

Explosive pain blossomed on the right side of [UNKNOWN] face. He lost the grip on the blade as he staggered backwards, cradling at his face with his right hand. He glared up and could see the blade still stuck in the earth ninja’s arm. Dark, warm, red liquid ran down his arm, dripping off his fingers.

Now [UNKNOWN] was unarmed.

The same could be said for the earth ninja. 

If [UNKNOWN] could estimate, it would take a few weeks before it healed completely, and would most definitely leave an ugly scar. The muscle packed on the earth ninja’s arms were stronger and more solid than expected, removing the chance of permanent damage. If [UNKNOWN] came at him once more, he would be able to take the earth ninja on with no problem. 

But the earth ninja still had one thing at his advantage. 

His powers. 

The layer of rock skin still lay on his forearms, a soft, pulsing green glow emanating from between the cracks, fading in and out like a heartbeat. 

_ “Another day.” _[UNKNOWN] decided. 

Cole took a lunge for him, but [UNKNOWN] easily maneuvered out of the way. His eyes scanned around the room, eyeing the glass door that would lead to the balcony. Cole seemed to see it too, as he let out a grunt as he forced his right arm up to grab at the back of his black cloak. His blood-coated hands slipped against the fabric, and he stumbled once a wave of pain hit him once more.

He hit the ground with a gasp, pain shooting up his arm, agony eating away at the nerves.

[UNKNOWN] opened the door to the balcony, being hit by a wave of cold sea air. He jumped onto the balcony railing, taking a glance behind him to see Cole struggling to his feet, the blood pumping out of his arm staining the blue rug a dark azure.

He took off into the night. 


	5. Talk

[UNKNOWN] knew it was bad when Chen was scowling. The man sat in his throne, his fingers drumming along the button panel just light enough so that he wouldn’t activate any of the buttons. Clouse stood right beside the chair, his arms folded behind his back as he held his head high. 

He approached the throne carefully, eyeing how empty the room was. Not a single guard was present there with them, the only three of them left in the circular lobby. [UNKNOWN] wasn’t really sure what to expect. He gave an awkward kneel once he came within about two meters of the crack snorter’s chair, dipping his head down as his jet black cloak moulded around his shoulders, back, and legs. 

“You failed.” Clouse remarked. [UNKNOWN] had to fight back a wince. Fail. For some reason, he had such a negative feeling about that word, like it gave him a bad taste in his mouth or gave him an electric shock every time he heard it. He hated the sound of it. He hated how he felt about it. He hated everything about that concept. 

“Care to explain?” Chen questioned. 

_ “I can’t—” _

“Exactly like I said, Clousy-Clouse!” Chen exclaimed as the long-haired man nodded along in agreement as he listened to Chen talk. “There’s no reason why he failed such a simple task! I should’ve known he was defective…”

[UNKNOWN] soon tuned out their conversation, and instead opted to look at the flooring underneath his feet, his eyes tracing the details carved into the tiling; snake designs coiling around the circumference of the rounded room. It was a nice floor. He’d rather listen to it than listen to Chen say another word. He could still hear Chen going at it, spewing sentence after sentence of incomprehensible rambling. 

“He’s just like his past life Clousy-Clouse! He didn’t accomplish anything!”

That seemed to get his attention. He found his head snapping upwards, his eyes staring right at Chen. The man in question laughed, amused by [UNKNOWN]’s sudden interest. Clouse seemed to smirk as well, revealing his unnaturally white teeth and unusually sharp canines. 

_ A past life? He had one? He was someone before he was [UNKNOWN]. He had a name. He had an identity.  _

“I don’t want you to fail me next time,” Chen spoke, this time his voice was steady and serious. 

Something told [UNKNOWN] things would be bad if he did. 

* * *

He wasn’t sure what had exactly happened, but he eventually found the master of earth dumped at his feet. That day had passed like a blur; [UNKNOWN] had no idea where all those hours went. But what was happening now was that the powerless earth ninja was now at his feet.

[UNKNOWN] eyed the stark white bandage that was wrapped around the earth ninja’s right bicep, noticing that there was a spot that was stained a soft pink. He looked a lot weaker and frailer, even though he seemed to have not lost any weight or muscle. His breathing was so faint, [UNKNOWN] almost certain that the earth ninja was right on death’s door. A tight orange worker’s uniform was stretched around his frame, the buttons on the chest threatening to burst. 

He glanced up at the grunt that had dragged Cole to him.

“Boss wants you to take him to the factory.” The goon had grunted out before he turned around and wandered aimlessly back down the maze of tunnels that lay deep underneath the palace’s surface. [UNKNOWN] grabbed a fistful of the back of the earth ninja’s shirt, and proceeded to drag the earth ninja effortlessly down the halls, listening to the sound his body made as it scraped against the dirt ground. 

A few goons passed by him did give him a few confused glances, but thankfully they decided to keep their mouths shut. 

It was only when they were about five minutes away from the factory entrance that the earth ninja began to stir. [UNKNOWN] pulled the hood up over his head to conceal his face, listening as the ex-earth wielder gave a pained groan as he rubbed at his forehead. That pained groaning soon turned into a large gasp of confusion, and then he began to thrash in [UNKNOWN]’s grip like a fish out of water. 

[UNKNOWN]’s hand was like a steel talon; nothing was going to get it to open up. He could feel as the earth ninja— Cole, [UNKNOWN] reminded himself— grasped and pried at his fingers, trying to pull them free, but it was fruitless. He gave up trying, before slumping over once more, looking over his shoulder as he tried to get a glance at his captor. 

A pause. 

“Where are you taking me?!”

No answer.

“A metal hand huh? Your past caught up with you, didn’t it?” 

No response. 

“Huh. The silent treatment. Well, I have the perfect solution to that! This is what you get for last night!”

With that, the earth ninja reared his elbow back and jammed it into the back of [UNKNOWN]’s left knee. The nindroid couldn’t help but let out a grunt of pain against his muzzle, his hand slipping on Cole’s shirt for a split second. But a second was all that Cole needed. In a heartbeat, he was already on his feet, making a mad dash down the corridor. 

[UNKNOWN] snapped his hand forward, and grabbed a fistful of Cole’s hair. In one swift movement, he had pulled the earth ninja back by his hair, slamming his back onto the cold, hard ground. Cole cried out as he reached up for his head, but [UNKNOWN] was ready for that too. He stomped down on Cole’s left wrist, grinding his foot a bit once he pinned the ex-earth welder’s arm against the ground. Cole let out a grunt of pain as the very audible sound of bone cracking reached his ears. 

Cole looked up and noticed that [UNKNOWN] was staring right down at him, his eyes unblinking and unmoving. He could see the part of his face that wasn’t covered by the silver metallic mask. He could see dark coloured metal-plated skin, an eye with a void of black accompanied with a red, dial-like iris. His right eye was a silver, bulky thing; it wrapped around the right side of his face, three dots where the eye should have been. Black locks of hair came swooping to the left side, slightly covering his normal eye. 

“Y— you’re a—” Cole choked out, as [UNKNOWN] grabbed the collar of his orange shirt and began to drag him once more, letting his foot off of the earth ninja’s wrist.

“...why are you working for Chen?”

No answer. 

“Can you answer  _ any _ of my questions?” 

The nindroid stopped walking. 

[UNKNOWN] looked over his shoulder and gave the earth ninja a glance, and Cole could see as the nindroid’s expression morphed into something over than a blank slate. Curiosity? Confusion? Interest? Maybe all three. 

“Do you know who I am?”

[UNKNOWN] gave a shrug. He did, but at the same time, he didn’t. 

“...do you remember anything?”

The nindroid gave another shrug, before he started to stride again, his hand still tight on Cole’s collar. [UNKNOWN] might as well answer some of his questions. It’s not like he was ever going to interact with the earth ninja ever again. 

And somewhere, deep down, [UNKNOWN] was afraid of that happening. 

Cole seemed to be treading cautiously, not wanting to trigger any of the nindroid’s memories in case of making the situation worse. 

“Do you know your name?”

A head shake. 

“Do you have one?”

Another shake of the head. 

“...do you want to be here?”

A pause

[UNKNOWN] gave a weak shake of his head, his eye dimming until it was nothing but a black void. He seemed to sigh inside the muzzle, given that the vents slightly flapped and shuddered as they expelled air. 

Cole allowed himself to be dragged to the factory gates in silence, taking his time to gather his thoughts. The two goons guarding the factory doors took hold of each of Cole’s arms. Once they gave the nindroid a nod of confirmation, [UNKNOWN] turned around and began the trek back. 

“Wait!” Cole called out once the two goons began to force him through the doors of the factory. 

[UNKNOWN] turned to look at him. 

“I can help you escape! I can—” Cole’s next words were cut out as the two goons forced him through the metal and wood doors, the slamming of the gate being his only reply. 


	6. Name

_ “I can help you escape.”  _

[UNKNOWN] found himself staring out at the open ocean once more. He sat with his legs on the windowsill, his back leaning against the vertical window frame. In his hand was a small hunting knife, the hilt perfectly fitted to mould to his grip. He watched as the orange and pink sky clouds began to swallow up the sun, feeling the warm wind combing through his hair and ruffling his gi. 

Cole certainly seemed to recognize him. Or at the very least, knew where he had come from. The way the earth ninja talked, the way he acted, his voice, his build, his face— all of it was so familiar. The memory was just on the tip of his tongue, but he found himself unable to recall  _ anything.  _ His head would ache whenever he struggled to think; his vision would blur and double when he attempted to remember. He clawed at his scalp, accidentally drawing blood— not blood,  _ oil _ — when he looked down at his hands. He hastily wiped the liquid off on his pants, noting that some of it stuck underneath his claws. 

_ Who are you really? _

Maybe he should start from the beginning. What did he remember? He had woken up, then proceeded to listen to Clouse and Chen as they bombarded him with information. Words blended together until it was a singular, garbled mess of noise. [UNKNOWN] shifted a bit so that his legs hung off the windowsill, dangling over the drop to the jungle below, and began to think harder. What did he remember about what was said? 

_ “I was brought here by someone. Was my memory rebooted before then? Did I suffer from some sort of head impact and it knocked my processor out of commission?” _

_ “I was reset. Does that wipe my memories? How do I still remember bits and pieces? Do I have a backup memory drive? Why isn’t it working right now? ” _

_ “Who else was there?  _

_ “Did they mention anyone else?” _

_ “There were three—”  _

[UNKNOWN] paused suddenly. That was it! He turned one-eighty and planted his feet on the ground as he shot off the windowsill. There were two to three other people who had some sort of connection to him! He started jogging down the hall, before his jog melted into a bolt, running towards one of the entrances leading to the underground maze of tunnels, turning down a hall that would lead to a door—   
  


Clouse stepped into the hall. [UNKNOWN] had to skid to a halt, worrying that his boots had torn the carpet. 

Clouse raised an eyebrow at him.

“Exploring so soon?”

A second.

Two.

A brief nod from [UNKNOWN]. 

The long-haired man laughed once and then snorted. 

“Very well. Have fun.”

[UNKNOWN] started to walk once more. He had to pass Clouse in order to reach the door, and as he came to approach the long-haired, he noticed that the spellbook Clouse had tucked underneath his armpit had a red ribbon sticking out of it. A bookmark, perhaps? [UNKNOWN] forced his eyes to look ahead of him, fighting back that urge to turn and scan the book further. He could feel Clouse’s eyes pressing down on him as he walked past, the feeling drilling into his back as he continued down the hall. 

It was just a simple spell to bring the Anacondrai back, right? Why was he being so secretive?

Figuring he’d never get a response, he kept walking.

* * *

[UNKNOWN] didn’t realize Clouse was following him until a few minutes later. He could hear the telltale sound of the long-haired man’s shoes on the dirt floor, and could hear the distinctive style of his breathing. The nindroid could hear the sound of his clothing rustling together, all of the sounds having been committed to memory. [UNKNOWN] tried his best to shake the lanky man off his tail, taking random turns and speeding up.

The footsteps kept following him.

What was Clouse trying to stop him from finding? The three other people he had heard about? Were they afraid that he would figure out things from his past? He kept walking, losing himself in his thoughts as he thought over the situation. 

Then that would mean that Chen and Clouse knew some stuff about [UNKNOWN] himself. Had they lied to him? They did seem like the shady type. Scratch that, they  _ were  _ the shady type. But why were they hiding things from him? Was he dangerous? Would he be better off not knowing?

** _“You are ______.” _ **

[UNKNOWN] stopped dead in his tracks. He whirled around. Who was talking? He scanned the empty hallways of the underground dungeons, listening to the gentle crackling of the torches that hung from the moss-covered walls. The voice he heard was so familiar, like it was the missing piece of an incomplete puzzle he had planted in his head. It brought upon a chill down his spine, causing him to shudder as he hoped he would hear it again.

** _“You had a past. You have a name. Your name is ______.” _ **

The voice took on an extremely muffled effect, effectively censoring out the name that they had just spoken. 

Someone appeared in front of him. It was him. But at the same time, it also wasn’t. A grand piece of black chest armour hung on his torso. His sleek black gi was accented with red and purple, silver chains hanging off some parts of his gi. Two swords were strapped in an x-shape behind his back, the handles wrapped with red cloth. He stood tall and proud, his body slightly turned towards [UNKNOWN]. His face was gone, like there was a fog that had built up on [UNKNOWN]’s vision, causing his face and small parts of his body to become blotted out.

_ “What is it?! What’s my name?!!”  _ [UNKNOWN] started to run, a hand outstretched, reaching for the figure that had appeared in front of him. His hand grabbed for the red scarf that hung around his vision’s neck, but the man in front of him dissolved like mist through the cracks of his fingers, appearing further down the hall. The fog held in [UNKNOWN]’s hand was a burning cold, and he cursed internally as he opened up his fist, watching as the final few streams of mist evaporated out of his hand. 

** _“Chen and Clouse took away your identity. They stole who we were. They robbed us of who we truly are.”_ **

_ “Who am I?! Who am I supposed to be?!!”  _ [UNKNOWN] kept bolting down the tunnels, skidding to a halt an x-intersection. He frantically scanned his surroundings, seeing the form of his unknown visitor disappearing behind a corner. He took off running once more, desperately trying to catch up. He rounded the corner and saw him disappear down another adjacent corridor. He kept his legs moving, trying to keep up. 

** _“Find ____. He is the one you are looking for. He will jog our memory. He will restore us. Partially. We do not like the ninja, especially him, but there is no other option.”_ **

_ “Who?! Who is he?!!” _

** _“You will know. Bring me back to us, ______. Make us whole.”_ **

_ “Wait!”  _ [UNKNOWN] lunged forward, trying to get his mysterious visitor to stay, but it was no use. He dissolved like mist, leaving the nindroid’s hands to grasp nothing but air as silence filled his ears once more. What the fuck just happened? Everything the visitor had spoken sounded like it made perfect sense, like there was some part deep within [UNKNOWN]’s mind that knew it perfectly, but at the same time, it felt like there was a thin paper wall separating him from the truth. 

He couldn’t hear the sound of Clouse anymore. There was no distant sound of the man breathing, no sound of clothing rustling or the sound of footsteps. So at least his visitor had helped him in one way that was apparent. 

Where was he, anyway?

A quick look around made [UNKNOWN] aware he was in a part of the dungeon that he had certainly never been in before. The walls were older, already starting to crumple, algae and vines crawling around in their crevices. He strained his ears to listen and could hear the sound of sea waves crashing against rocks. Was he in a part of the dungeon that was close to the shore? He could smell the saltwater and the scent of dead fish already, the stench wafting in through the vents on either side of his muzzle. Grimacing in disgust, [UNKNOWN] looked around, trying to figure out which way he had come so he could turn back and resume what he was looking for. 

There were prison cells here too. But unlike most of the cells that were scattered around in the tunnels, there were a couple that were locked. 

Peculiar. 

95% of the cells underground were unoccupied, meaning there was no need for a lock to be latched. Was there a prisoner in there? Or did Chen hide his meth stash in those two cells? 

[UNKNOWN] cautiously moved up to the barred window that lay on the dark gray metal cell door. Pressing his face against it, he could see sunlight streaming in through another barred window high up on the wall within the cell. The cell itself looked like it was made of wet cement. It seemed as if it hadn’t been taken care of in centuries. [UNKNOWN] could see cobwebs and dirt glinting in the sun coming through the window

A man made of light gray metals was chained against the wall by his wrists. His short hair was a paler tint of gray, sticking up before being brushed forward slightly. His eyes were a dazzling pale cyan, slightly lighting up the area around them, causing his chest and his arms to hold a soft blue glow

The man chained to the wall looked up and glanced at the door.

Right into [UNKNOWN]’s eyes. 

Said nindroid staggered away from the door, his mind whirling as his back hit the other side of the tunnel. Images swirled in his mind; a blinding blizzard of white and blue and purple and blond and gold—

_ He stood, a lighting storm brewing all around him. He could feel as the chilling summer air whipped at his cloak and gi, coming in through the crevices of his armour. He had a girl grasped by the neck, lifting her up so they could stare at each other at eye level. Her face was a garbled mess of colour, indistinguishable. Her purple dress pants and shirt billowed in the breeze as she weakly hit his arm.  _

_ Someone appeared in his peripheral vision. He was blond, his skin an unusual pale. His eyes were blurry; a faded, mixed mess of shades and tints. His blond hair almost looked white as he swung a golden pole with a glowing cyan blade— _

_ They were at a junkyard now. Mountains made of scrap and discarded tires lay all around them as the unforgiving sun radiated her heat upon all. He could see the two— the blond and the purple girl— as he fired at them. The next shot ripped the weapon out of the blond’s hand, causing him to be thrown along with it. The blond hit the ground with a resounding thud— _

_ He was staring up at someone glowing a blinding pale blue. The city around them was coated with a golden cobweb, tendrils snaking around through skyscrapers, a soft golden dust raining down from the artificial heavens above. It was beginning to snow. He could see another figure, much bigger than the glowing man. A large, spider-like mech crawled around the cobweb, but as to who was operating it, he couldn’t see. Another blotch of colours obscured his sight. The air temperature had dropped significantly, and he could feel as his joints already froze before he even had a chance to process the situation.  _

_ A blinding flash of white light.  _

_ Then, _

_ Nothing.  _

[UNKNOWN] gasped as he came to. He was leaning against the wall, having collapsed to the ground as his mind was assaulted with memory after memory of his past. The ringing in his ears slowly died away as the blinding white light from his sight faded. 

_ “Zane.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of him seeing a vision of himself is inspired by NJM's "Project: Black Ice"!!! Go check out her fic!!!!! It's really good!!! Thamnk you Princess for letting me use it!!! :D!!!! <333


	7. Break

[UNKNOWN] tried the handle of the door that led to the cell. The handle shifted slightly, but otherwise, a lock restricted the rest of its movement. He cast his eyes to glance through the barred window once more, ducking his body so that his head was barely visible through the porthole. 

“Hello?” Zane had called out, causing [UNKNOWN] to flinch and wince at his tone. He shrank back down, pressing his back against the wooden door and slapping both of his hands over the ventilation grates on his muzzle. His breathing came out as ragged and heavy, his chest cavity feeling like it was about to burst as he could hear it rattle. Oil was rushing in his ears, his vision beginning to fade at the edges.

What the hell?

Did Zane know who [UNKNOWN] was? Maybe he could find a way inside the cell and...and then what? It’s not like [UNKNOWN] could ask the metal man any questions. Having a metal muzzle on his face kind of restricted his speech. He tried the handle once again. The door rattled as he tried to gain access. 

“Hello?!” Zane had called out once again, this time his voice was laced with much more urgency and concern. [UNKNOWN] could listen as the sound of chains clinked together through the door, listening as the ninja shuffled around from his spot chained to the wall. He himself was basically shrunken into the ground, his breathing ragged and heavy as his processor fought over what to do. Should he open the door? Should he just leave it be?

** _“Chen and Clouse took away your identity. They stole who we were. They robbed us of who we truly are.”_ **

[UNKNOWN] swallowed heavily. He cast his eyes on the door handle a final time before he came to a decision. 

After looking around to determine whether the coast was clear, he placed his right hand around the door handle firmly, his fingers slowly wrapping around the smooth metal. He gradually began to apply pressure, pressing down, continuously fighting against the lock, waiting for the telltale sound of the bolt cracking underneath the pressure. He could feel as the handle dug into his palm, feeling as the lock began to groan and creak from under the force. Zane said something again, but [UNKNOWN] was too preoccupied with trying to bust open the bolt to listen fully.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

_ Shit. _

[UNKNOWN] bolted upright, staggering to his feet in an instant. His eyes settled on Clouse, who stood in front of him. Where had he even come from? [UNKNOWN] would have heard him approach. Did he just teleport into existence?

The sorcerer’s face was set in an ugly scowl, his eyes darkening in complete anger, narrowing to stare at him. The nindroid watched as Clouse’s mouth widened into a snarl, revealing his unnaturally white teeth and sharp canines. 

“You’re coming with me.”

* * *

[UNKNOWN] sat in the circular lobby of the throne room, plopped down right beside Chen’s lavish chair. He stared down at his feet, listening quietly as Chen rambled on and on about how it was a bad idea to put Zane in that cell. How it was a bad idea that they let [UNKNOWN] walk around on his own. The crackhead was pacing around the room wildly, throwing his arms around erratically. 

Clearly, the crackhead was angry about something else too. He kept going off on tangents about “the spy” and how she had gotten away. How she stole a spell or the page of a notebook or something; [UNKNOWN] couldn’t be bothered enough to listen. However, he was aware of a large block of ice that was now sitting in the throne room, already beginning to melt. [UNKNOWN] could see the lavish carpet around the ice take on a darker colour from the water. 

[UNKNOWN] was so close to finding out his own identity. If he had just managed to break open the door a bit sooner, managed to break apart Zane’s chains, managed to get him to take off the muzzle—

His thoughts were interrupted when Chen stepped right beside him. [UNKNOWN] snapped his head upwards to look at Chen right in the eyes. The island-owner was grinning now, and the nindroid could feel as his body instinctively leaned away slightly, like Chen had some aura to him that pushed people back. 

“You still want your memories back, don’t you?” Chen asked with a snort and a chuckle, reaching a hand up to stroke at the snake body coiled around his headdress. His own body trembled a bit from excitement, his breath coming out heavy as he giggled again. [UNKNOWN] stared at him for a few more seconds, wondering why the hell he had even agreed to help Chen in the first place. 

They weren’t going to help him.

[UNKNOWN] nodded anyway.

“Great!” Chen laughed and then proceeded to poke [UNKNOWN]’s chest with his index finger, forcing the nindroid to lean back a little bit more. [UNKNOWN] stared down at the digit digging into his torso, then back at Chen once again. 

Chen’s voice then dropped to a deathly low tone, as he leaned in. [UNKNOWN] could feel the crackhead’s warm breath on his face, puffing down on the muzzle in pants and low chuckles. 

“Now listen here! Fall out of line  _ next  _ time and you will suffer. I’ll take you apart, piece by piece myself.”

[UNKNOWN] eye bored into Chen’s for a few lingering seconds. 

That was it.

Fighting against the pressure on his mouth, [UNKNOWN] slowly forced his jaw open. The creaking and groaning of metal resounded from deep within his muzzle. There was a snap as something in the metal contraption broke, and now [UNKNOWN] could feel as his mouth opened up by a thin margin, enough to get some sounds out. His voice was a deep, gravely snarl, his eyebrow furrowing as his body got ready to act.

“Fuck you.”

And with that, [UNKNOWN] threw his fist forward.

There was the telltale crunch of Chen’s nose breaking. 


	8. Run

Chen staggered backwards, a line of blood trailing from his left nostril, creating an arc as he fell to the ground, stunned. It drained down from his nose, creating an almost vertical line from his face to his stomach. Flecks of blood stained [UNKNOWN]’s knuckles as he retracted his fist. 

Everything happened at once. 

A grunt standing behind Clouse made a mad dash for the nindroid. He swung forward with his right fist, his knuckles just barely grazing [UNKNOWN]’s face as the nindroid leaned back in an effort to dodge. In one fluid motion, the nindroid had unclipped a knife from his belt and thrust the blade forward. The knife entered the grunt’s chest all the way up to the hilt. With a jerk, the nindroid forced the knife up, and the blade came out through the skin between the collarbones like flesh was warm butter. The grunt collapsed like he weighed nothing, the blood from his chest pouring out of his chest, making a puddle on the ground bigger than he was.

[UNKNOWN] eyed the open window high up on the wall. Clouse seemed to understand what he was considering because the sorcerer made a lunge directly towards the nindroid. Reeling his left leg back, [UNKNOWN] threw his foot forward. The metal of the nindroid’s boot smacked right into the side of Clouse’s head, and there was a loud crack as he dislocated the long-haired man’s jaw.

Good.

[UNKNOWN] took off running. He scaled up one of the pillars in the throne room, his unsheathed claws digging into the wooden beam, providing perfect leverage as he pulled himself upwards. He dug out wood and sawdust as he scampered upwards, his left hand reaching upwards to push open the window as he reached the top of the pillar.

He touched the paper window, lifting it up as he ripped the entire pane off of its frame with his claws. 

He suddenly had a bone-carved spear poking out of his left arm. The tip of the spear was pushing out of the other side of his arm, the ugly teethed edge completely destroying the area of entry. The wires in his arms poked out of the entry wound like snakes, dark oil spilling out down his arm and staining his gi.

A couple more spears joined the first.

He snapped his eyes back towards the ground level. Now Chen was surrounded by a slew of goons, throwing spears gripped in their hands, some of them poised up to take aim at the nindroid currently squatting right beside the window.

[UNKNOWN] dove outside, pushing himself off the window frame with his feet, the bone rods poking out of his arm snapping off, leaving the blades stuck in his arm. Kicking out with his feet, he landed perfectly, crouching so that he absorbed the impact. His metal boots slightly sank into the wet mud outside, blades of grass sticking to the metal. Lines of black oil dripped down his left arm, draining off the tips of his fingers and staining the soil an ugly black. 

There  _ had  _ to be a secret entrance to the factory around the island  _ somewhere,  _ right? He still had to break Cole out of there. Cole promised that he would help him regain some memories, right?

Okay, this was bad. 

He barely had a plan, if any, and here he was, taking off through the thick thickets of the island’s vegetation, pushing past trees and branches in an effort to make sense of his situation. His limp left arm hung loosely at his side as he ran, his boots crunching against the twigs that scattered the dirt path created by matted down grass. The sea wind rustled in his ears as he ran, listening to the noise of yelling far off in the distance, seeing flashes of anacondrai goons through the trees. 

And his goddamn arm.

It felt like someone had lit his arm on fire. He could feel as the agony slowly crept up his arm, from the site of the injury all the way up to his shoulder. Tears welled up in the corner of his eye, probably coming from his cooling system as they allocated to his eye. They ran down his face as he clutched at his arm, the oil running between his fingers and draining off his digits. The wound sparked and fizzed every few seconds, causing spikes of pain to travel down his spine with each discharge of flicker. He grunted, slowing down his sprint ever so slightly to take in his surroundings. He had run a substantial amount away from the palace, the vegetation growing thicker and more difficult to traverse the further he ran. Thankfully the thick weeds covered up his trail of oil as he aimlessly ran forward. 

He was near a part of the island with thick rocks; giant boulders creating hills for moss and trees to grow on top of. The sun was absolutely glaring down at him, his black clothes and cape soaking up the heat and doing nothing help him cool down. He reached up to unclasp the pin holding the cape around his shoulders, haphazardly wrapping the thick black fabric around his wounded arm and repinning the pin to his gi, making sure to remind himself to not take the blades out.

How much did that cape weigh? It felt like a bag of bricks had dropped off his shoulders. 

Now what? 

The entire island was probably crawling with goons, combing their way to find him. He had to find a place to lay low for a while, before making his move back to the factory. He could hear the sound of goons yelling at each other, carried over by the gentle sea wind as it rippled through the trees. The gentle rustling of branches accompanied the sounds of yelling as he kept trekking, branches and weeds snagging onto his clothing as he pushed through the undergrowth. His boots sank into the damp parts of the dirt, leaving the impression of his boots all over the soil. 

Guess he’d have to wait until nightfall. He'd stay back for a while and then go back for Cole. 

He didn’t know how long he had walked for before his legs gave out from underneath him. His knees impacted against the rough dirt and rocky terrain of the island, taking a seat underneath the shade of a rotten tree. His vision was doubling, his chest feeling tight, the muzzle barely providing him with enough oxygen to intake. The space inside the muzzle burned his face, the heat coming and going with each inhale he took, the nindroid panting with laboured breaths. His legs burned with insufferable exhaustion and his entire body trembling in pain. 

His left sleeve was practically drenched with his oil, the fabric sticking to his arm uncomfortably. It was slick and heavy, the ground where his arm now stained a darker colour. His back rested against the rotting trunk of the tree he sat under, glancing upwards at the pinkish-orange sky and soft white clouds, the sun slowly beginning to be swallowed up by the sea. The sunlight glinted off the crashing waves, the shine coming in through the thicket. 

He supposed he could drift for a bit. 

Just a small break. His eye was practically drooping closed like his eyelids weighed several thousand tons. Sleep slowly crept into his mind like fog, clouding his thoughts behind a wall of exhaustion. 

Just a small rest.

Then he’ll start moving. 

He rested his head against the rough bark of the tree, allowing his body to slowly grow slack as sleep overtook his mind. All of his senses gradually cut out, one by one. There was a small pause after the last of his senses stopped, leaving a dark void in his thoughts before everything cut out.

He didn’t know how long he had shut off for, but he woke up to a bright blue sky stretched out above him. He was laying on his back, his clothes dishevelled and dusted lightly with a thin film of dirt. His left arm was now officially dead. It didn’t respond to any command that he willed to it, save for a few times where his fingers twitched and spasmed slightly out of his control. The good news was that the bleeding had stopped, most likely his systems cutting off the oil supply to his left arm. He groggily staggered onto his feet, swaying slightly as he attempted to right himself. His arm groaned and creaked like it was coated in and out with a layer of rust, like it had spent centuries in a dark musty basement or submerged underwater.

His ears perked up after hearing the sound of faded engines up in the sky. He looked up, seeing the obscured view of some plane or blimp floating in the sky. It had to be at least fourteen thousand feet above the island, creating a clearing through the clouds it had flown through. A cloud of smoke trailed from the blimp, ruining the rest of the sky. [UNKNOWN] grumbled something, before turning away to trek through the vegetation.

He didn't pay attention until he heard a few sounds of unfurling nylon. 

He looked up and noticed several people, in parachutes, drifting down onto the island. 

...

Shit.


End file.
